sleepy time tea thoughts

Easter is almost over and I have nearly accepted that I can not get out of working tomorrow. I really should work since I haven't very much in the last 3 months. Part of my lack of enthusiasm stems from the fact that my alarm is set for 4:40am. Then on Tuesday I start a four-day trip. Welcome back to work.

I really shouldn't complain since I just spent six beautiful days in Napa Valley. We went out for the memorial service, but were able to see a lot of J's friends and family and Christine and Scott. It was a really great visit and the weather was amazing. The memorial service was the saddest thing I have ever been a part of, but it was also inspiring to hear how highly they were spoken of and how they had enriched everyone's lives around them. One thing that people said over and over was how they lived life to the fullest - and they included their loved ones in all of it.

I'm still processing everything that has been going on lately, but I hope that once the trauma of everything passes I don't forget the things I have seen and learned lately.

I hope that when I die, whether I'm young or old, I won't look back and wish I'd spent less time on facebook or hadn't neglected the important relationships in my life. There are times that I find myself skipping forward to the next day before the current one is over, flights I just want to end, mornings, afternoons, and evenings gone with nothing to show for them - and I don't want my life to be that way. I want to have something to show for it. More importantly, I want those around me to have benefited from it.

I've been spending a lot of time lately practicing music with the girls. We're playing at a reception on Saturday and have to have at least two hours of music prepared. I think enough time has passed since the tortures of college that I am beginning to enjoy playing again. I hope this time we really do take our quartet seriously and practice regularly.

Yesterday we were practicing and something sounded particularly good. As I listened to us play it struck me how many different, amazing factors went into the beautiful sound. To start with, some (probably crazy) old man wrote the music hundreds of years ago. The four of us are the daughters of two brothers and of two college buddies. We started playing together when we were nine and ten. We went to a somewhat crazy school but it kept us together and playing through high school. Our parents sacrificed to buy us instruments and pay for lessons. Then we played in college together. Now we're all in our late twenties, still friends, still playing together. Some parents teach their children another language when they're young so they can experience the world through language. We were taught to read music, and can now enjoy the world that way.

This has been enough deep thoughts from Grace for the time being. I'm worn out from a great day and must sleep now so I can be the best flight attendant possible tomorrow.